Thread: The Settlers 7

So did anybody pick this game up? I'm curious about it. I was thinking about getting it, but I was hoping one of you already has it and can tell me a bit about it.

Or u can just play the demo. The Settlers series is an old but popular game that's been around for a long time. Don't know what the exact genre would be called. It's not quite an RTS like Company of Heroes or Warcraft; it has more in common with a Civilization or SimCity game. You layout and develop your society by placing various buildings that provide services to your empire. The goal is to achieve an efficient (gathering and production) settlement as possible to support your empire's goals (military, economic, scientific). You compete against other opponents on the map with the same victory conditions.

Been messing around with it the past day. The graphics are awesome with everything set on max. I think the game has been more streamlined than the previous games in the series. It's similar to Civilization in that there are multiple ways to win, but not as complicated. The game plays faster than Civilization but not as fast as most RTS games. They've really pushed multiplayer in this game and included online and social tools to support it. You do need an Ubisoft account to play the game (yes, even singleplayer) but my old Rainbow Six account information still worked even though it's years old. But if you're a fan of Civilization, I think Settlers 7 would be a game to take a look at since it's not as complicated and it's more fun, plus multiplayer games go much faster.

It's more fun than Civilzation? Interesting choice of words from the Civ master himself. Awesome Bane! I'll check out the demo, I didn't see it on steam. One thing that made me a little wierded out was that disclaimer about them giving a months notice if they have to shut the game down. Makes me nervous that the kinda expect it to fail.

Edit:
I picked it up. Downloading now.

Settlers have been around for a long time as has the Anno series (Dawn of Discovery) through Blue Byte. For civ building games, they generally do a nice job. I tried the demo though and couldn't get into the latest version.

I like the game so far, but I've barely scrathed the surface to give a better review. I enjoy Civ 4. This game has similar elements: there's resource gathering, trade networks, and technology advancements like Civ 4 but each element is handled completly different. The graphics are amazing. I enjoy watching my little "sims" go about their daily tasks. It's pretty neat zooming around different places of my kingdom.

My problem with the game is that Steam doesn't have a game manual for it and I can't seem to find it on the net. I'm learning as I go and it could be frustrating at times trying to figure out build orders and little strategies for keeping my poplation running as efficiently as possible. I've searched for good game forums to give me tips.

I'm indifferent about the games DRM issue. The requirement for an Internet connection at all times is not comforting for the times when I travel and internet connections are iffy. There's also facebook and oneup integration into the game. Most of my facebook friends will be annoyed at the pop ups that show my achievements until they figure out how to disable them. There will be a few farmville folks that will he interested in the pop ups and wonder how they could get a piece of the action. I suppose that's ubisofts angle of attack and I can't argue that it's a bad one. This oneup feature is intriguing. I don't know much about it other than the fact that it tracks your games awards/trophies and points to unlock special content.

I had trouble finding the Settlers 7 game manual, but I managed to find it eventually in the steam program folders. Just in case anyone out there needs the manual (or if you're just curious about it) you can also download the game manual here:
www.33rdroughnecks.org/space/norcal/Settlers.pdf

Originally Posted by NorCalRoach

There's also facebook and oneup integration into the game. Most of my facebook friends will be annoyed at the pop ups that show my achievements until they figure out how to disable them. There will be a few farmville folks that will he interested in the pop ups and wonder how they could get a piece of the action. I suppose that's ubisofts angle of attack and I can't argue that it's a bad one. This oneup feature is intriguing. I don't know much about it other than the fact that it tracks your games awards/trophies and points to unlock special content.

It's up to you to enable Facebook wall posts and if you don't want your friends to see them, then you should disable them. They're usually not of any value and end up just looking spammy.

I decided to dive back into this game over the weekend so I dedicated a lot of time trying to figure it out. On the surface, its a cutesy innocent colorful game. Its easy on the eyes for sure but, the game is complicated. You need to have a sustainable economy in order for you to advance a combination of strategies that involves trade, warfare and technologies. There's no diplomacy.

To win, you'll need to acquire and hold enough victory points. This is tricky because the majority of the victory points changes hands. You can score victory points by having the most army units, having the most prestigious civilization, or controlling trade routes to name a few examples. If you lose your position in any of the categories then you lose the point. There are a few points that are static which you can obtain through special missions or tougher sectors to capture. Its pretty dynamic.

The fun part is trying to figure out the right balance and trade network to optimize your production. Although warfare is part of the game, it isn't the focal point. It is a real time strategy game, but rather than controlling your units for war you end up needing to control your traders and farmers. That's where the complicating factors start to creep in. Its a big puzzle that can be overwhelming. Don't let that stop you from playing though.

There is a a free demo still available. I'm around if you need some pointers and our would like to get a game on.

Originally Posted by NorCalRoach

You need to have a sustainable economy in order for you to advance a combination of strategies that involves trade, warfare and technologies.

I'd play this game but I don't like this lack of realism.

Check the demo out Sharingan, you'll probably dig it. It's more logical rather than realistic.